Read Books And Become Better At What You Do

Would you like to develop into a better marketing practitioner?

Yes, it's important to keep abreast of the latest technological developments and tools of the moment for reasons that are not germane to this musing. And it is equally important to read (or listen to) books that reveal the consistent and pervasive variables of human nature. Why? Because within those books are timeless truths that will help you better understand how to communicate in an impactful and even meaningful way with the audience you seek to serve.

If this sounds interesting to you, here are five books to start you on or help you continue your journey of persistent learning and improvement:

1. The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
“When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.”

2. Collective Illusions by Todd Rose
"If people can see one another’s choices, and if they are merely copying each other, wisdom becomes stupidity in a hurry. In doubting our own judgment and defaulting to conformity, we transform ourselves from individuals into members of the herd. And before we know it, this seed of error can become a copying cascade that devours all other knowledge and leaves a collective illusion in its wake."

3. Propaganda by Edward Bernays
“Modern business must have its finger continuously on the public pulse. It must understand the changes in the public mind and be prepared to interpret itself fairly and eloquently to changing opinion.”

4. The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
"We tend to think of our behavior as largely conscious and willed. To imagine that we are not always in control of what we do is a frightening thought, but in fact it is the reality.”

5. Addiction by Design by Natasha Dow Schüll
“Although interactive consumer devices are typically associated with new choices, connections, and forms of self-expression, they can also function to narrow choices, disconnect, and gain exit from the self.”

PS We read to know we are not alone. —C.S. Lewis